Suffering

Philippians 1:29 NLT

For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him.

When we hear the word suffer we tend to think about going through some physical issue like the suffering we do when we are in bed sick, recovering from an accident or surgery, or suffering pain at the hands of someone else.

Yes these are examples of suffering. But we can also suffer by being shut out or ignored by others. In this case especially because of our faith in God. As we go and tell others what our relationship with Christ has done in our lives we are not always welcomed. Often we are confronted with nasty words and perhaps even physically attacked.

This is what happened to the twelve after Pentecost as they went out to preach the gospel message to the Jews. This is what happened to Paul as he went out and preached the gospel to the gentiles. Paul called it a thorn in his side.

This suffering for Christ as we preach the Word is what we consider carrying our cross. And without the cross there would be no crown.

"Father God, help me as I go forth and preach Your word to others near and far. Protect me from harm. Encourage me as I face rejection and help me to dust off my sandals and move on to the next prospect for Christ. In Jesus name, I pray." 

Fruit

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Some people seem happy all the time. At least that is what we see when we meet them. They have on a smile and seem to always be patient and kind towards us. Others are just the opposite! They appear as though it is a burden to them to speak with us. There just does not appear to be any evidence of joy in them at all.

Am I speaking about believers and unbelievers here? No. I do not know about you, but I see both examples in and outside of church on Sunday morning.

The fruit in our lives can be the result of effort on our part. This is a good thing, but is driven by our desire to make ourselves Christ like. Even unbelievers can come across this way and many do. Unseen is the state of our heart. Are we manufacturing the fruit or is it the result of what is truly in our heart?

When the Holy Spirit comes into us like He did on Pentecost for the believers in the upper room we become filled with His presence. He changes our heart and produces true fruit in our lives. No longer to we have to manufacture it for others to see.

"Father, continue to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Let my fruit be the result of the changes you have made in me and not something I manufacture for others to see. Change me into the image of you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen."

The Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT 

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Translation, Interpretation, Paraphrase, Commentary, and Revelation.

The Word of God in written form is our Bible. Yet there are many versions of it and many views as to what it means to us today. It can be confusing to most of us. Even though the original was written in Hebrew (Old Testament), Aramaic and Greek (New Testament), we of English speak countries seem to think the version we have is the correct one. 

Many even argue that the King James Version is the only true Bible. Well there are many other versions. Some are translations from the original Hebrew and Greek like the NIV (New International Version) and NLT (New Living Translation) versions. Others are interpretations or paraphrases of one of the translations like the TLB (The Living Bible). And then there are many commentaries found as individual books or even as study notes in the different versions.

I believe God knows what we are reading. And He knows what we need to hear for the moment. As we read our favorite version either randomly or with some preset method God reveals to us what we need to have. As we read He puts thoughts in our mind that may not even seem to fit the scripture we are reading; He gives us those Ah Ha moments. He fills us with exactly what we need for that moment. He gives us new revelation.

As this scripture points out, all scripture is good to teach us right from wrong and how to live godly lives. It says ALL not SOME. It is not a menu to pick and choose from. As we read God's Word He teaches us and then it is up to us to apply it to our daily lives and become the person He designed us to be.

Copy and Paste

Romans 12:2 NLT 
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

In this age of communications we use computers in all forms. We have large desktop computers that many have replaced or supplemented with laptops. We have tablets and smart phones. Every one of them allows us to copy and paste files and pictures and even words from one location to another.

We are warned in this scripture to not copy the things of this world. Everything we associate with transforms us a little even unknowingly. We tend to think and act like those we hang around with. And it is hard to allow God to do in us the work He has planned when we are running with the ungodly.

As we allow ourselves to be aware of the things of the world that can bring us down the wrong path and seek God's face instead, He will transform us and make our thinking more and more like His. And that is what I want, to think like Jesus, to have the mind of Christ.

"Father God, I thank You for all You have done in my life. I thank You for the changes in me. I am not the same as I used to be. Please continue to transform me so I think and act like Your Son. Give me the mind of Christ. Help me to do the work You have called me to. Copy and Paste Your goodness into me. In Jesus name I pray."

Always Be Humble

Ephesians 4:2 NLT 
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.

So often in this world today we expect everyone to be on the same page. We expect them to think like us and act like us. And when they do not agree with our thinking, we think they are strange or that they have a problem.

As a result of this wrong thinking the country is divided by a large chasm with one kind of thinking on one side and the other kind on the other. And I am not just talking about politics. That problem is obvious. In all things we are lined up with thinking that has been programmed into us over the years by what we listen to, what we watch, and who we associate with. We are conditioned to think the way we think instead of truly thinking for ourselves.

Yet if we are believers and believe the Bible is filled with God's words for us we can easily figure out what we should do and who we should or should not line up our thinking with. And it is more than just that cute phrase from a few years ago--what would Jesus do?

If we would just do as this scripture in Ephesians tells us how different our world would be. The enemy works hard to prevent us from being humble and gentle and patient. Before we react to others we need to step back and think. Am I being patient making allowance for their faults? Am I seeing them through Jesus' eyes or my own? Do I walk out with an attitude with aggression toward others or do I walk in humility and gentleness?

Lord, help me to become who You designed me to be.